The Infiniski Menta House was originally conceived as a holiday home for clients in the Tarragon countryside. As such, energy-efficiency and compact design were essential components of the brief. James & Mau far exceeded expectations however by creating a cubed one-level home carefully situated to make the most of prevailing winds and passive solar design. Clad in weathered Corten steel panels, this €100,000 home also features perforated Corten steel shutters shaped like mint leaves.

The shutters provide shade against the sun but also allow natural ventilation to penetrate the interior. Not only that, but they add such a great aesthetic to an already striking, rustic home. It took only three months to build the house, much of which was prefabricated out of metal modules. Rooftop solar panels provide the bulk of energy which is buttressed with a biomass system, and the project received the highest level of energetic efficiency possible from the Regional Institute of Energy ICAEN.